How Do I Dispute Equifax Inquiries?

Soft inquiries are credit checks that do not affect your score and are visible only to you; they include things like checking your own Equifax report, pre‑approved offers, or a landlord's background screen. Hard inquiries are triggered when a lender or creditor pulls your credit for a lending decision; they lower your score slightly and remain on your Equifax report for two years.

On an Equifax report, hard inquiries appear under the 'Inquiries' section with a label such as 'Hard' or the creditor's name, while soft inquiries are marked 'Soft' or listed in a separate 'Soft Inquiries' subsection that lenders cannot see. Typical soft examples: self‑initiated credit check, promotional credit card offer, insurance quote. Typical hard examples: credit‑card application, auto‑loan request, mortgage pre‑approval. Recognizing these distinctions lets you move quickly to the next step - confirming each creditor and date for every Equifax inquiry.

Look at each line on your Equifax report and verify that the creditor name and the date of the inquiry match a loan, credit‑card, or service you actually applied for. The creditor appears in the left column, the date in the right; soft inquiries will be labeled 'soft' and hard inquiries 'hard.

If a name or date doesn't line up with your records, flag that hard inquiry (or soft inquiry) as unauthorized and note it for the evidence‑gathering step that follows. Remember, hard inquiries should disappear after 2 years; any older entry that remains is automatically erroneous and ready for removal.

• Collect proof that the inquiry on your Equifax report is wrong before you start the online dispute in the next section.
• A recent statement from the account you never opened (credit card, loan, or service) showing no activity.
• A written denial, no‑consent letter, or email from the creditor confirming you did not request the inquiry (how to dispute credit report errors).
• Copies of your government‑issued ID (driver's license or passport) and a utility bill to verify your identity if the dispute involves possible identity theft.
• A PDF or screenshot of your Equifax report highlighting the disputed hard inquiry, including the creditor name and date.

File an Equifax online dispute and upload your evidence by using the Equifax portal, selecting the inquiry you want removed, and attaching the documents you gathered earlier.

1. Visit the Equifax online dispute portal and sign in or create a free account.
2. Click 'Dispute a credit report item,' then choose 'Inquiries' from the drop‑down menu.
3. Locate the hard or unauthorized inquiry you identified in the 'confirm creditor and date' step; note the creditor name and the exact date of the entry.
4. Click 'Add evidence,' then upload each supporting file (PDF, JPG, or PNG) - credit agreements, denial letters, or identity‑theft reports - keeping each file under 5 MB.
5. Enter a concise statement (under 200 characters) explaining why the inquiry is incorrect, referencing the evidence you attached.
6. Review the details, submit the dispute, and record the reference number; Equifax must investigate within 30 days.

Mail a certified dispute letter with copies of your evidence to Equifax's dispute center.

• Address the letter to Equifax Consumer Services, P.O. Box 740256, Atlanta, GA 30374.
• Include your full name, current address, date of birth, and last four of your Social Security number for identification.
• State the inquiry you dispute, reference the date and creditor, and request removal.
• Attach clear, legible copies of supporting documents you gathered in the previous section (credit report excerpt, creditor correspondence, police report for identity theft, etc.).
• Do not send originals; keep the original for your records.
• Mail the envelope via Certified Mail with Return Receipt Requested.
• Retain the mailing receipt, receipt number, and a photocopy of the entire packet.
• Equifax must investigate within 30 days of receipt and send you a written outcome.

After the certified letter is sent, watch for Equifax's response. If the inquiry remains, you'll use the exact sample wording in the next section or consider escalating to the CFPB.

Use this exact wording when you dispute an unauthorized inquiry on your Equifax report. After you've gathered proof (see 'gather documents proving an inquiry on your Equifax report is wrong'), copy the text into the online dispute field or paste it into your certified‑mail letter, then attach your evidence before moving to the 'escalate to CFPB' section.

• Online dispute / email template:
  
  'I am writing to dispute the hard inquiry dated [MM/DD/YYYY] from [Creditor Name] that appears on my Equifax report. I did not authorize this inquiry, and I have attached documentation proving it is inaccurate. Please remove this unauthorized inquiry from my credit file and confirm the correction in writing.'
• Certified‑mail letter template:
  
  'Date: [MM/DD/YYYY]
  Equifax Information Services LLC
  P.O. Box 105069
  Atlanta, GA 30348
  
  Re: Unauthorized hard inquiry -  [Creditor Name], [Date of Inquiry]
  
  I request an immediate investigation under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. I did not give permission for this hard inquiry, and I enclose copies of supporting documents. Please delete the unauthorized inquiry from my Equifax report and send me a written confirmation of the removal.'

To delete a duplicate or improperly listed hard inquiry from your Equifax report, you must dispute it as inaccurate, unauthorized, or without a permissible purpose. Hard inquiries remain for up to two years, but they are not removed simply because they are 'expired'; they disappear only when Equifax verifies an error.

Gather the creditor name, date, and any proof that the inquiry is a duplicate or was not authorized (e.g., a denial letter, account statement, or identity‑theft report). Then submit an online dispute or a certified‑mail letter using the exact wording from the previous section, attach your evidence, and request removal. Equifax must investigate within 30 days and, if it finds the inquiry inaccurate, will delete it from your credit file.

If an inquiry on your Equifax report is the result of identity theft, dispute it as fraud and add a fraud alert right away.

1. Report the theft - Go to the report identity theft to the FTC website, complete the Identity Theft Affidavit, and download the Identity Theft Report.
2. Gather supporting proof - Keep a copy of the Identity Theft Report, any police report you can obtain, and the evidence you already collected that the hard inquiry is unauthorized (see 'gather documents proving an inquiry on your Equifax report is wrong').
3. Notify Equifax - Log in to the Equifax online dispute center or send a certified‑mail letter. Attach the Identity Theft Report, police report (if you have one), and your unauthorized‑inquiry evidence. State clearly that the inquiry is fraudulent and request its removal.
4. Add a fraud alert - Call Equifax at 1‑800‑525‑6285 or follow the Equifax fraud‑alert instructions online. A 90‑day alert will be placed on your credit file and automatically shared with Experian and TransUnion.
5. Consider a credit freeze - If you want longer‑term protection, request a freeze after the fraud alert is set. A freeze does not delete the existing unauthorized inquiry but stops new ones until you lift it.
6. Mark the dispute as identity‑theft - In the online portal, choose the 'identity‑theft' option so Equifax routes the case to its fraud‑resolution team. They must investigate within 30 days.
7. Verify removal - Once Equifax closes the dispute, check your next free Equifax report. If the unauthorized inquiry remains, move on to the CFPB escalation steps outlined later.

If Equifax does not correct an unauthorized hard inquiry after you have completed the online dispute and mailed a certified letter, you can escalate the issue to the CFPB and file a formal complaint.

Visit the CFPB's complaint portal, choose 'Credit reporting,' and upload the same evidence you sent to Equifax - your dispute ID, the Equifax report, and supporting documents. The agency forwards the complaint to Equifax, which must respond within 15 days, and you receive a tracking number to monitor progress.

The CFPB will email status updates and may request additional information; keep those records handy for the next step, which could involve consulting an attorney or a certified credit‑repair professional as described later.

The CFPB forces Equifax to submit quarterly compliance reports that list remediation steps, security upgrades, and consumer‑redress numbers, so regulators can see progress in real time (CFPB Equifax enforcement actions).

An independent auditor, vetted by the CFPB, reviews Equifax's systems each quarter and delivers a detailed audit; the agency also performs surprise site visits to verify that technical controls match the disclosed plans.

The bureau continuously matches the reports and audit findings against its Consumer Complaint Database; if complaint volumes or breach metrics exceed preset thresholds, the CFPB can levy additional penalties or adjust the settlement terms.

Block future unwanted hard inquiries by freezing or locking your Equifax report, setting fraud alerts after any identity‑theft incident, and opting out of all prescreened offers; a freeze stops lenders from pulling a hard inquiry until you lift it with a PIN, while a lock lets you toggle access instantly from a mobile app. Pair the freeze with daily or weekly alerts that email or text whenever a hard inquiry appears, so you can dispute unauthorized pulls within the 60‑day window outlined in the earlier 'file an Equifax online dispute' section. Only share your Social Security number and date of birth with verified lenders, and request a soft inquiry confirmation before any application that could generate a hard pull. Keep a written log of every credit‑card, loan, or service inquiry you initiate, because a disciplined log prevents accidental hard pulls and gives you evidence when you dispute a rogue request later.

Finally, review your Equifax report quarterly - as you learned in 'identify soft vs hard inquiries' - to verify that only authorized hard inquiries remain, and immediately re‑freeze any new unauthorized entry before it embeds itself for the two‑year retention period.